catch out

trick someone into making a mistake

B2

What does "catch sb out" mean?

To catch someone out means to expose them — either by tricking them into making a mistake or by discovering that they have done something wrong. The key idea is that the person being caught out has been trapped, often through a clever question, a test, or a situation they didn't expect. This is different from simply finding out that someone did something wrong; catching someone out usually involves a deliberate element of deception or a trap. It's especially common in contexts like job interviews, political questioning, courtrooms, and exams. The phrase is much more typical in British and Australian English than in American English, where speakers tend to say 'catch someone in a lie' or 'expose someone' instead.

Examples

How to use it

catch + object + out

The most common structure, especially with short noun phrases referring to a person.

The journalist caught the minister out with a question about his voting record.

catch + pronoun + out

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and 'out' — this separation is obligatory.

She denied everything, but her colleagues caught her out almost immediately.

be caught out + (by + agent)

The passive form is very natural and common, especially when the focus is on the person who was exposed.

The candidate was caught out by a straightforward question he hadn't prepared for.

be caught out + -ing

Use a present participle after 'caught out' to describe the specific wrongdoing or mistake that was revealed.

Two employees were caught out falsifying their expense reports.

try to catch + object + out

Often used to describe a deliberate attempt to trap or trick someone, frequently before it succeeds.

The examiner tried to catch the trainees out with a series of tricky scenario questions.

Common Collocations

caught out lyingcaught out in a lietry to catch someone outcaught out by a trick questioncatch a politician outcaught out cheating

Common Mistakes

Wrong pronoun placement

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'catch' and 'out'. Placing it after the particle is ungrammatical in English.

✗ The interviewer caught out her with a trick question.
✓ The interviewer caught her out with a trick question.
Confusing 'catch out' with 'call out'

'Catch out' involves a trap or trick that exposes someone; 'call out' means to directly and openly challenge or criticise someone, without any element of deception.

✗ She caught out her colleague in front of the whole team for making a false claim.
✓ She called out her colleague in front of the whole team for making a false claim. (Use 'caught her out' if a trick or trap was involved.)
Using 'catch out' for discovering facts, not people

'Catch out' almost always has a person as its object — you catch a person out, not a fact or a piece of information. To discover information, use 'find out' instead.

✗ I caught out that the report contained errors.
✓ I found out that the report contained errors. / I caught the author out in several errors.

Usage

This phrasal verb is much more common in British and Australian English than in American English. It almost always refers to trapping a person into revealing dishonesty or a mistake, so the object is nearly always a person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'catch out' more British than American?

Yes — 'catch out' is much more common in British and Australian English. American speakers tend to use phrases like 'catch someone in a lie' or 'expose someone' to express the same idea. If you're writing for an American audience, those alternatives may sound more natural.

Can 'catch out' be used without mentioning what the person did wrong?

Yes, it can. You can simply say 'they caught him out' without specifying the wrongdoing, especially if the context makes it clear. If you do want to mention the mistake, use 'in' ('caught out in a lie') or a participle ('caught out exaggerating his experience').

Does 'catch out' always involve a deliberate trap?

Usually, yes. The idea of a deliberate trick, clever question, or trap is central to this phrase and is what makes it different from just 'finding out' that someone did something wrong. In some cases the trap is less deliberate — someone might be caught out simply because they weren't careful — but the implication of exposure is always there.

Can I use 'catch out' in the present continuous, for example 'they are catching him out'?

It sounds unnatural in most situations. 'Catch out' typically describes a completed moment of exposure, so past and perfect tenses are far more common. The present continuous is occasionally possible if you want to stress a deliberate, ongoing attempt to trap someone, but it's rare.

Does 'catch out' have any other meanings I should know about?

In cricket, 'catch out' refers to dismissing a batsman by catching the ball before it bounces — but this is a very specific sporting term. In everyday use, the meaning is almost always about trapping or exposing someone in wrongdoing or dishonesty.

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